Puffing Billy Railway & Rainforest Tour from Melbourne

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/7

Duration6h

GroupUp to 27

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Leg-Dangling Train Ride Through Melbourne's Rainforest

You get picked up from Melbourne, walk through rainforest at Grants Picnic Ground, then spend an hour on Puffing Billy with your legs dangling over open carriages as the steam train winds through the Dandenong Ranges. At Lakeside Station you explore the visitor centre and have time for lunch before returning to the city by early afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Puffing Billy and Rainforest Adventure

Travel from Melbourne to Grants Picnic Ground
Discover native birdlife and rainforest trails
Board Puffing Billy at Belgrave Station
Enjoy one-hour Puffing Billy train ride
Explore Lakeside Visitor Centre and lunch
Return to Melbourne from Lakeside

The Experience

So you're sitting in an open carriage with your feet hanging over the edge of a moving train, and the forest is just rushing past below you — that's the whole point of Puffing Billy, right? The day starts with a drive from Melbourne out to the Dandenong Ranges, where you stop at Grants Picnic Ground first. It's quiet there, native birds moving through the trees, rainforest trails you can walk if you want to stretch your legs before the train ride. Nothing fancy, just the kind of place where you notice how green everything is and how far you've gotten from the city in maybe forty minutes.

Then you're at Belgrave Station waiting to board Puffing Billy itself — a heritage steam train that's been running since 1900-something, and yeah, it actually looks like it. The one-hour journey takes you through the forest on tracks that wind through the Dandenong Ranges, and the whole thing is designed so you can dangle your legs out the side of the open carriages. It's not a thrill ride, it's slower than that, but there's something about the speed and the open air and the sound of the steam engine that makes it feel like you've stepped into another era. The guide on the bus ride out will tell you about the history, and they're usually pretty knowledgeable without being annoying about it.

The train pulls into Lakeside Station, and that's where you get off and explore the Lakeside Visitor Centre — it's basically a small museum about the railway's history, nothing that takes hours. You've got time to grab lunch there if you want (you pay for it yourself), and the views across the lake are the kind of thing you'll photograph without thinking about it. Then it's back to Melbourne in the early afternoon, so you're not losing your whole day. The whole tour runs about half a day, which is why a lot of people do it as a morning or early-afternoon thing and have the rest of the day free.

What’s included

Your tour includes return transfers from Melbourne in a modern vehicle, a one-hour journey on Puffing Billy Railway with open carriages, entry to the Lakeside Visitor Centre, and a friendly guide throughout. Lunch at Lakeside Station is at your own expense.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for back problems

Operated by Explore Australia Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to experience Puffing Billy without arranging your own transport from Melbourne or figuring out the train schedule — the pickup and timing are handled, so you just show up and ride.